Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, friends and family! I hope that you have had a blessed Christmas time, indeed. We certainly have enjoyed being with our families, and we're grateful to live not far from them. That makes traveling to and from gatherings so much easier. It was so much fun to have Kristiana be more involved in Christmas this year. She has loved seeing Christmas trees and lights, reindeer, snowmen, Christmas stockings, presents, ribbons & bows. And we have been reading to her the Christmas story from various story books. She keeps talking about Baby Jesus, Mama Mary and Daddy Joseph. It is precious.

I sang at church on the 23rd - the Angel Recitatives from Handel's "Messiah" and a neat piece called "Rose of Bethlehem." It really helped me to begin to experience the true meaning of Christmas to have that chance to sing about my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. When I was in college, we had a Messiah sing-along every Christmas season. The students would audition and sing the solo portions, and the audience would sing-along. It was fantastic! My first solos for the Messiah sing-along were those Angel Recitatives, so anytime I get to sing them, I get really excited, as I have such fond memories of singing them in college. And for me, I really can visualize the whole scene layed out before me...I see the shepherds...I see the fields...and I see the angels! It is really awesome.

The text of the recits is as follows...may it help to bring you into the true meaning of Christmas...

"There were shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'fear not! For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord.' And suddenly, there was with the angels, a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God, and saying..."

And then the choir bursts in with this most amazing angelic moment, "Glory to God! Glory to God in the highest! And peace on earth."

What I think I love most about all of that music is that it is so scripturally based, and God makes the words new every time. It is as though they jump off of that score and come alive in the minds and mouths of those singing, and hopefully in those listening to. Handel was so brilliant. I'm glad that God blessed him with such gifts, and that his works are still being performed all over the world today.